Tanzania’s CCM endorses Samia and Zanzibar’s Hussein as presidential candidates for October elections

Tanzania’s CCM endorses Samia and Zanzibar’s Hussein as presidential candidates for October elections

Samia, Tanzania's first female president, named Chama Cha Mapinduzi Secretary-General Emmanuel Nchimbi as her running mate for the upcoming elections.

Tanzania's ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), passed a resolution on Sunday endorsing Samia Suluhu Hassan and Hussein Ali Mwinyi as its official candidates for the Union and Zanzibar presidential elections, respectively.

This decision followed a recommendation from former President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, who served as Tanzania's head of state from 2005 to 2015. The resolution was met with overwhelming support from delegates at the CCM National Congress in Dodoma, the Tanzanian capital.

Kikwete's speech was frequently interrupted by cheers and applause as delegates rallied behind Samia and Hussein.

"If we want to decide today that Samia is our candidate and Mwinyi is our candidate, we have the authority to do so," Kikwete declared, which sparked another round of applause.

However, Kikwete urged caution, stressing the importance of adhering to the legal framework and ensuring that the nomination process remains constitutionally sound.

During the Congress, President Samia announced that she had received and accepted the resignation of Vice President Philip Mpango, who will not run for re-election. Mpango will continue serving as vice president until the general elections are held later this year.

Samia, Tanzania's first female president, also named Chama Cha Mapinduzi Secretary-General Emmanuel Nchimbi as her running mate for the upcoming elections.

Tanzania's general elections are scheduled for October 2025, during which both the president and members of the National Assembly will be elected.

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